Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Review

The release of the original Civilization game on PC in 1991 defined the phrase

I was pleasantly surprised when I fired up CivRev (as it will be referred to through this review). Simply put, it looks outstanding. No, it

Sound effects in CivRev are basic, but get the job done. Tanks rumble and bombers dive appropriately, setting a build order triggers a hammering construction sound, and you’ll hear the standard sword clanking and grunting from combat. Again, nothing terribly fancy, but effective. Your advisers all communicate in babble-speak (much like The Sims) which changes depending on their nationality. While the voices are well done, hearing the domestic adviser babble out the phrase

This was my biggest concern with CivRev. I

You begin the game by choosing one of 16 historical leaders such as Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, or Julius Caesar, and are plopped down in the world – along with 4 other civilizations – with nothing more than a single settler and possibly a warrior, depending on your civilization. From there, your goal is to conquer the world in one of 4 ways: Domination (destroy everyone else), Cultural Victory (develop enough culture to build the United Nations), Economic Victory (compile enough gold to create the World Bank), or Technology Victory (be the first to reach outer space). Unfortunately, there is no customization to allow for less than 5 civilizations or define victory conditions, which would have been a very welcome addition. The basic premise sounds easy, but becoming the ultimate power in the world requires a delicate balance of both military and city-building skills.

Let

With 16 different civilizations (each with their own specific bonuses and units), there is plenty of replay value in CivRev. Most games can be completed in 2-3 hours, and using a different civilization or striving for a new type of victory means that each game is truly its own unique experience. There are several multiplayer options, including Head-to-Head, Free For All, Team Play, and System Link. Playing against human opponents helps diffuse some of the overly aggressive AI, but finding online opponents can be a bit tough. When you do jump into a multiplayer game, the AI fills in any unused spots, so unless you